In June 1830 the death of King George IV was followed by a general election. The issue of slavery had become an important electoral issue, especially in constituencies such as Yorkshire. The following address to voters, from the Anti-Slavery Society, reported in newspapers, was an attempt to make it more likely that MPs would strive for the abolition of the slave trade.

Address by the Anti-Slavery Society

The following Address to the Electors and People of the United Kingdom, has just been issued by the Anti-Slavery Society.

Fellow Countrymen.—Parliament is about to be dissolved; and you will shortly be solicited for your votes by those who wish to be your Representatives in the House of Commons. Let your first question to every candidate be, are you a Proprietor of Slaves, or a West India merchant? If the answer is in the affirmative, we would recommend to you a positive refusal, unless he be one of the very few who have already proved themselves true friends to our cause; or who, being known to you as a man of probity and honour, will give you the security of his promise henceforth to support it in the House. But whoever the candidate may be, demand of him, as the condition of your support, that he will solemnly pledge himself to attend in his place whenever any measure is brought forward for the termination of Slavery by parliamentary enactments; and that he will give his vote for every measure of that kind. Unless such a pledge is given in these, or equivalent terms, and more especially so as to exclude the subterfuge of still committing the work to the Assemblies, the engagement will be of little value, or rather of none at all. Add to this right use of your own vote, the widest and most active influence you can employ with your brother electors to engage them to follow your example. Let Committees for the purpose be formed in every county, city, and borough in the United Kingdom, in which any independent suffrages are to be found; and let public meetings be called, and the exhortations of the press be employed, to extend the same salutary work; and that work, let us add, alone; avoiding all political distinctions, and inviting men of both or all parties, to unite in promoting that single object.

We cannot promise our countrymen. that by such means your generous wishes will be fully and certainly accomplished; but one end at least, and an inestimable one, you will be sure to obtain. You will deliver your own consciences from any participation in the guilt which you have used your best endeavours to restrain.

Come forward then; instruct your Representatives; give or withhold your suffrages for the next Parliament; and use your personal influence throughout the country; all in such a manner as may best promote the success of this great and sacred cause.

If you succeed, you will give a new triumph to the British Constitution, you will exalt the glory of your country, in that best point, her moral elevation, and recommend her to the favour of Heaven. You may rescue also yourselves and your posterity from severe calamities, which we firmly believe are now impending over us, notwithstanding our apparent prosperity, not only from the natural effects of our pernicious system in the Colonies, if longer persisted in, but from the just vengeance of a righteous and all-directing Providence.

If you fail, you will at least have the inestimable consolation that you have done what you could “to undo the heavy burden and to let the oppressed go free,” and that the sins and calamities of your country, however pernicious in their consequences to yourselves or your children, were evils which you could not avert.

Source: The Scotsman. July 24, 1830.

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Slavery